Giants’ pitcher Jeremy Affeldt puts his arm around Tyler Stow as the 13-year-old listens to a surprise guest speaker Friday at San Francisco’s home opener: his dad, Bryan Stow. The elder Stow, beaten into a medically induced coma after a Dodgers-Giants’ game in Los Angeles last March, is making strides toward recovery. Tyler Stow threw out the ceremonial first pitch, then the Giants beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-0.

Jeff Chiu/Associated Press

Giants’ pitcher Jeremy Affeldt puts his arm around Tyler Stow as the 13-year-old listens to a surprise guest speaker Friday at San Francisco’s home opener: his dad, Bryan Stow. The elder Stow, beaten into a medically induced coma after a Dodgers-Giants’ game in Los Angeles last March, is making strides toward recovery. Tyler Stow threw out the ceremonial first pitch, then the Giants beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-0.

SAN FRANCISCO

Bryan Stow needed only three words to move an entire ballpark at the San Francisco Giants’ home opener.

Nearly beaten to death in an attack outside Dodger Stadium last year, Stow’s surprise appearance live on the center-field videoboard before Friday’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates might have been emotional enough. Instead, he also stirred fans and players in a touching family moment.

As the entire Giants team stood atop the mound for the first pitch, Stow, sitting in a wheelchair and wearing a Giants’ T-shirt, suddenly appeared on the screen with his mother, Ann. Then he struggled to get out a few short words to his 13-year-old son, Tyler, who was standing atop the mound at AT&T Park.

“Good luck, son,” Stow said.

Tyler tossed the pitch a little high and outside – but it didn’t bounce, and it didn’t really matter where it landed. The improvements from his father were enough, coming nearly a year after the attack in Los Angeles that left Stow in a coma.

Stow, a Giants’ fan and father of two young children, spent months in a medically induced coma after being punched in the head, kicked and slammed to the ground outside Dodger Stadium last March. Louie Sanchez and Marvin Norwood are charged in the beating. Both have pleaded not guilty.

Stow’s family has said the 43-year-old former paramedic from Santa Cruz is undergoing aggressive therapy to help him become more independent. He now shares an apartment with two other patients, and they have full-time assistance.

His mother thanked fans for their support before Stow spoke on the video screen. She also said the family hopes to bring Stow to a Giants’ game at some point this season.

“We had hoped that Bryan would be here (Friday) with you, but he is working on his rehab,” she said.

The Dodgers-Giants’ rivalry is one of baseball’s oldest and fiercest, dating back decades to when the teams were in New York. Stow’s attack turned into a rallying cry for fan safety – with both teams coming out against violence at games – and spawned an outpouring of support.

Giants’ third-base coach and musician Tim Flannery has held two benefit concerts. Home run king Barry Bonds also has contributed to a college fund for Stow’s children, and Giants’ ace Tim Lincecum gave $25,000 to the Bryan Stow Fund to help with medical bills and other expenses last year.

The Giants also raised approximately $70,000 for the Stow fund last year, partnering with his employer, American Medical Response, to gather donations at AT&T Park before the start of a series with the Dodgers in April. The total included a $10,000 donation from the team.

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